The Dancing Mouse
by XiaoBai
Summary: Implied A/Y slash. Yuki wants freedom. He wants out of the Souma house. But will Akito let his mouse go? One-shot. RR.


The characters of Fruits Basket do not belong to me. They belong to Takaya Natsuki-sensei!!  
  
Note: Implied one-sided AkitoYuki.  
  
-- A boy of age 13 looked out of the open door and stared longingly at the outside world he was looking now. It was winter, but already, some flowers were blooming. The cold wind blew slightly at the boy's light grey hair. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the peace of the surroundings.  
  
Then, another boy, whose ages was around 13 too, came up from behind and draped his arms around the grey-haired boy's shoulder. The boy was wearing a tradition male yukata with a Japanese over coat over his own shoulders. His hair was totally black even against the pale winter sunlight.  
  
" What are you looking at, Yuki?" The boy asked softly. Yuki did not answer the other boy. Instead, he pushed the black-haired boy's arms off his shoulders and turned around.  
  
" When are you letting me out, Akito?" Yuki said quietly, staring intensely at the black haired boy. Akito stared back at Yuki before slapping him hard on his left cheek. Yuki winced and whimpered slightly in pain but he made no move. Akito lifted his fingers and stroked Yuki's bruised cheek lightly.  
  
" Do not speak to me with such rudeness, Yuki. I had politely asked you a question. You should answer the question back and not ask me another question." Akito's lips quirked up slightly, " Do you want me to teach you your manners again, Yuki?"  
  
Yuki's eyes flashed with fear and he lowered his head.  
  
" No. I am sorry, Akito-sama."  
  
-- The Dancing Mouse.  
  
By: XiaoBai --  
  
" This year is your turn to dance, isn't it, Yuki?" Akito asked.  
  
Yuki nodded and Akito leaned his head onto Yuki's back.  
  
" I am looking forward to your dance, Yuki."  
  
--  
  
Kagura jumped up into the air, flipped her fans, and ended her dance by landing with perfect grace on the floor without crumpling her dance kimono. And this represents the end of the Pig Year.  
  
Everyone except Akito clapped. Akito merely nodded at Kagura. The 'Pig' of the Juunishi bowed again and moved quietly back to her seat. Yuki rose immediately from his seat and proceed to the small stage for his Rat dance for the year.  
  
He clutched tightly at the soft material he held in his fingers and took in a quiet breath. Then he began to dance. He moved swiftly and gracefully, making small but significant movements not unlike of the mouse's and moving calmly and lightly. The cords tied to his head accessory twirled around him as he moved from left to right, pulling and spinning the silk cloth too.  
  
As Akito watched Yuki danced silently, he was slowly filled with an attraction for the 'mouse'.  
  
Yuki was beautiful. And Akito wanted him for himself.  
  
--  
  
" Yuki, your dance was very good. You are beautiful." Akito whispered. Yuki remained silent for a moment before answering quietly, " Hai. Thank you, Akito-sama."  
  
The two of them sat quietly for a moment. Then Yuki began, " Akito-sama?"  
  
" Hn?"  
  
" I....I have a favor to ask you."  
  
Akito sat up straight immediately. He stared at Yuki and said, " What is it?"  
  
Yuki frowned a little, his eyes darting around uncertainly before taking a breath slowly.  
  
" I was wondering...whether you could let me out...I wish to attend a college, Akito-sama."  
  
Akito's eyes narrowed into slits. He stood up, walked out of the room and closed the door silently after him.  
  
He did not say 'Yes'.  
  
But he did not say 'No' too.  
  
--  
  
Akito was panting with slight exhaustion as Kyou grabbed the front of his robes.  
  
" Let's make a bet then, Kyou. If you can win Yuki in a fair fight by your eighteenth birthday, then I will not call you a 'creature'."  
  
His lips curled up into a snarl and his eyes widened, " BUT. If you did not defeat Yuki by your eighteenth birthday...Then you will be locked up for LIFE!"  
  
Kyou gritted his teeth and yelled, " I will win him for sure, Akito!" He let go of Akito's robes, glared at Akito and then jumped out of the window.  
  
Akito stared after Kyou and snorted. Kyou will never win Yuki. That boy was too strong for Kyou even though Yuki began learning martial arts a year after Kyou and Hatsuharu. Although Yuki was short, his speed made up for his shortness and he was a quick learner. Akito smirked. Children born in the year of the Rat will always be more talented than the Cat children.  
  
But...what if Yuki deliberately let Kyou win? Akito frowned a little. Even though the chances of that coming true were very small, it was still best for Akito to take a precaution step.  
  
He went to Yuki's room again and opened the door. Yuki was staring out of the window again. He had been very quiet these days, after Shigure and Hatori came and gave him a check-up. Yuki's lung had a big problem when he was very young and he had a huge attack when he was around eight years old. After that time, Yuki's health hadn't been very well and he had even stopped talking to anyone at one point. But then, one day Yuki went missing for a whole day and the whole clan was ordered to look for him. Yuki came back suddenly later and he had opened his mouth to speak. Akito sighed a little and stared at the forlorn 'mouse' and walked in quietly. Yuki did not react or do anything. He continued to stare out of the window and hugging his knees tightly.  
  
" Yuki, I have a deal." Akito said. When Yuki did not respond, Akito continued, " If you agree to this deal, then you are allowed to leave the main compound and live 'outside'."  
  
Yuki's head snapped up and he whipped around immediately. Akito smirked at the boy's sudden reaction and said, " But there is a deal to it, Yuki."  
  
Yuki stared intensely at Akito and said lowly, " What deal?"  
  
" The deal is that if you did not lose to Kyou in a fair fight, then you are allowed to stay 'outside'." Akito said.  
  
" Lose to Kyou...?" Yuki muttered slowly. " Why will I want to lose to him?"  
  
Akito frowned a little, " Do not bother with that now. If you agree to this deal, then it is fixed."  
  
Yuki nodded and said, " I agree to it, Akito-sama."  
  
" Good. But remember this, Yuki. If you lose to Kyou once in a fight, then you have to come back to the main compound."  
  
" Yes, Akito-sama." Yuki turned back to the window again and Akito left the room, thinking that it was safe to let Yuki out. After all, even if Yuki was living out of the Souma house, Akito still can see him once a year at the New Year party. In this way Akito could prevent Kyou from winning and Yuki will still come back to him in the end regardless of the deal.  
  
Yet, unknown to Akito, Yuki had Hope shining in his eyes when he stared out of the window again.  
  
--  
  
It was his first year here. Yuki was turning sixteen already and he had gotten out of the Souma main house. He was starting his new semester at the Kaibara College School and he was somewhat happy about it.  
  
Because this school he was attending wasn't chosen by Akito.  
  
As Yuki wander around the corridors of the school aimlessly, looking at everything, a few senior female students approached him.  
  
" Yuki-san." They called.  
  
Yuki turned around and stared at them. The tallest of the female students smiled shyly and said, " You are beautiful, Yuki-san."  
  
Yuki was surprised for a moment. Then, Yuki smirked slightly and narrowed his eyes.  
  
"....Thank you." He said simply and walked away.  
  
So this is what the 'people' Akito was talking about. Come to think about it, it's rather amusing to see these people sucking up to him because he was attractive. Yuki smiled at two passing female seniors and smirked again at their squeals and blushes.  
  
This was so ridiculous.  
  
--  
  
My first Fruits Basket one-shot...hope you guys liked it though. I am actually planning to write a companion piece to this fic...but I'm not very sure about what to write...  
  
Anyway, don't forget to Review!! 


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